2024-07-12 08:46:20
Spain, a country where football is much more than just a sport, is thus finding a part of its life and its magic with the resumption of La Liga. After three months of inactivity, there is enthusiasm in the air. The Spaniards, mourning the death of thousands of people due to the coronavirus, are, however, relieved to reconnect with their stars.
The eyes of millions of spectators will be riveted on Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Eden Hazard, recovered from a broken right ankle, Karim Benzema or Joao Felix to follow the final race towards the championship title.
After 91 days of being dormant, LaLiga, the body responsible for managing professional football in Spain, has scheduled daily matches for 40 days with variable times depending on the region and broadcasting rights. The idea is to recover lost ground and generate the highest audience share given that the matches will be played behind closed doors.
Following the instructions of the Spanish health authorities, LaLiga has produced a 26-page protocol including the measures that must be taken by all teams to achieve a highly anticipated return.
The landscape will be different, but the enthusiasm and the spirit of victory remain intact. Charter flights, exclusive hotels for the traveling teams, separate buses, gloves, masks, no collective goal celebrations. A very strict protocol to protect the players and the technical staff and preserve the credibility of the championship which will end on July 19.
More than 130 people have been mobilized to put in place the necessary protocols required by the health authorities, stressed LaLiga boss Javier Tebas, who has defended the return of the competition from the start and ruled out a French-style suspension.
To open the ball, there is nothing better than a Sevillian derby, this time, “silent”, the coronavirus requires. The poster of the 28th day opposing FC Seville and Betis Seville will be played in a Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium closed to the public, a strange circumstance for the supporters of the “enemy neighbors”.
The leader before the suspension of the championship, FC Barcelona, will travel to Mallorca on Sunday to challenge the local team in an attempt to maintain its two-point advantage over Real Madrid who had “given” first place in the standings to the Catalans after their defeat against Betis of Seville (2-1) on matchday 27.
The Madrid team, who will play the rest of the championship at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium located in its sports city in the north of Madrid, due to the work in progress at the Santiago Bernabeu, will host Eibar on Sunday with the hope of regaining the lead in La Liga.
The other match of the day will see Athletic Bilbao face Atletico Madrid, in a match that will determine the ambitions of Simeone’s team, sixth with 45 points to 13 behind Barça.
After three months of paralysis, the stars of La Liga will have 11 days, 40 days and 110 matches to confirm their talents and make the public forget the anxiety of the health crisis linked to the new coronavirus. Let the show begin!
2024-07-12 08:46:20